No warnings for this chapter. Enjoy!

The reporter was late. She didn't like that. Kagura took another drag of her cigarette, ignoring the dirty looks from others seated on the café patio. She was within her rights to sit here and chain smoke all day if she had to; she didn't care that it was becoming less and less socially acceptable. Plus, she had to admit, as annoyed as she was to be kept waiting, it still beat being in the office.

Especially today. It all started with a simple email – brief, unemotional, businesslike; she still wasn't sure if appointing Kanna to head of Investor Relations and PR was dumb or a genius-level move – and reporters were all but knocking down her office door within the hour.

Including the kid.

She was doing him a favor by meeting with him, and this is how he was choosing to repay her? By letting her wait? Kagura decided she'd had enough of entitlement for the day, especially after the morning's announcement.

It hadn't been completely unexpected; she just thought maybe she'd have more time. She knew she was COO in name only - a title given to her to enable her to do Naraku's dirty work – but Kagura had foolishly believed that she'd at least be given a heads up…

It didn't really matter. What was done was done. She put out the rest of her cigarette, choosing to focus on her coffee instead as she took to people watching as she continued to wait. She'd give the reporter another ten minutes, she decided, before she moved on with her day.

She noticed a harried young man rushing through the crowd towards her with two minutes left before her deadline. He was dressed like a part-timer – jeans, sweatshirt, messy ponytail – and, though she would be shocked that any reputable publication would allow their reporters to dress like that, she knew that this was who she was waiting for.

"Hasegawa-san!" He was breathless by the time he reached her table. "I am so sorry to have kept you waiting! I'm Horie Kohaku; we spoke on the phone this morning?"

Kagura nodded, rising to shake his hand.

"So, kid," Kagura began, greeting the young reporter brusquely as he slid into his seat, "Why are we here? My time isn't infinite, you know."

It was a lie; her time was exclusively spent acting as a corporate mouthpiece and there wasn't anything she could do about it. There was no need for the reporter to know that, though. She took another drag, exhaling from the side of her mouth. She fixed him with a stare as she sipped her cappuccino, waiting for his response.

"Uh," his response was one of confusion – he sat up a bit straighter in his chair, tousling his messy ponytail as he removed the pen from behind his ear and flipping open his notepad. "I'm following up on today's announcement regarding the announcement of the acquisitions of Sahashi Limited and Eisai Corporation and the appointment of CEOs Orikasa Jakotsu and Kusao Bankotsu."

Kagura smirked, readying the party line. "Of course – we're thrilled about today's acquisitions. Orikasa and Kusao will be great partners and Kumonosu looks forward to working together."

She ignored the rage bubbling under her mask of control – she was the COO, damn it, and while she'd long-accepted the fact that she'd never actually have a say in Kumonosu's strategic decisions, she deserved to at least know about these things before the general public was informed.

The reporter arched a brow. "I'm particularly interested in the circumstances of this acquisition, Hasegawa-san. Many find it… if not suspicious, certainly oddly timed, that these acquisitions happened so quickly after the untimely deaths of former CEOs Sahashi Isao and Ogata Masami."

"Is there a question?" Kagura rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.

Kohaku leaned back in his seat, pen to paper. "My question is, do you have a comment?"

"Obviously," Kagura smiled tightly, "we send our heartfelt condolences to Mr. Sahashi and Ms. Ogata's respective families. Our representatives were in conversation about the acquisition and succession planning with Mr. Sahashi during his sudden illness. With regards to Ms. Ogata's… tragic accident last week, we will be providing emotional support resources to Eisei employees." She silently dared him to ask further about the circumstances of the deaths.

The reporter nodded as he took his notes, seemingly understanding that he would not be getting any more insight on the matter. "What is Kumonosu's play here, Hasegawa-san? You have two minor products on the market right now, and both Eisei and Sahashi have significant holdings, including stakes in Taisho Pharmaceutical. How can Kumonosu possibly have the capital to fund these acquisitions?"

The kid was asking the right questions. It was a shame she couldn't give him the answers.

Not yet.

"Kumonosu is in the acquisition business," she began simply. "We believe in responsible mergers and acquisitions – we don't simply buy a company and take over operations. It would be wasteful to let go of entrenched expertise to simply install our own scientists, would it not?"

"So, you're in the business of acquiring and profiting from brand equity, then," the reporter replied, not sounding convinced.

"Exactly," replied Kagura. "Of course, our private label generics are important to us, but the model works best when both the Kumonosu brand and our acquired brands work together as one… family." Kagura held back a shudder as the last word left her mouth.

"And how, exactly, has Kumonosu financed these acquisitions, Hasegawa-san?"

The kid was fucking relentless, and, while he had a point, Kagura did not want to deal with this today. She pursed her lips as she considered her options, taking another sip to stall.

"Horie-san, was it?" she asked, even though she hadn't forgotten, "I would recommend that you read over our annual financial reports. All of the information you're looking for is there."

The answers wouldn't be in the reports, and he probably knew this, but at least it would get him off her back for a while so that she could figure out how to use the kid to her advantage. He was smart and eager – desperate for a scoop.

He could prove very useful.

"Well then," Kohaku began, rising from his seat, "thank you for your time. Here's my card," he handed her a basic business card: name, email address, Telegram handle in black font, "in case you… remember anything you might like to share."

He was gone before Kagura could. No sooner had she pulled out her phone to check her email than a familiar voice cut through the noise of the street and other diners.

"Kagura."

She wasn't surprised that he'd decided to make an appearance today. She would have liked to think it her sheer wit and charm that led the Taisho Pharmaceutical CEO to show up tableside as she tried to enjoy the rest of her cappuccino on an unseasonably warm February morning, but Hasegawa Kagura was no fool.

"Care to explain?"

She glanced up from her phone, taking a moment to lock eyes with Sesshomaru over the top of her sunglasses as she savored the last sip of her drink.

"As a representative of Kumonosu Industries?" she smirked, "I'll tell you exactly what I told him." She waved her hand toward the departing reporter.

She waited a moment, truly enjoying the barest hint of anticipation that crossed Sesshomaru's face. Sure, they had the same enemy, and thwarting him was counterproductive to her interests, but that didn't mean she couldn't have some fun.

She smirked and leaned back in her seat, awaiting his response, but he chose not to play her game. Kagura hadn't expected him to do anything else, really, but it'd still been worth a shot.

"But," she began, grinning slyly as he turned to depart. "I'm sure I'll have some personal opinions if you manage to run into me after hours."

He nodded, turning once again and beginning to walk away.

"Sometimes I visit the bar at the Conrad," she called after him. He continued walking, making no obvious indication that he'd heard her at all. It didn't matter; she knew he had. He needed her just as much as she needed him, and he'd practically showed his hand with his appearance this morning. It wouldn't be long now until she had what she wanted.

But what she wanted right now was some fun. And she hadn't told him exactly when she'd be at the Conrad, after all.

"Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview," Kagome's voice broke up for a second, garbled by a poor connection. "I really enjoyed speaking with President Naraku."

"I'm sure he enjoyed it as well," Kagura replied dryly, pulling up a new window to check Twitter reactions to the morning's announcement in order to distract herself. She was leading a lamb to slaughter, and for once she didn't enjoy any of it.

"One question for you before we end – would you say Kumonosu is a formal work environment?"

Kagura barely suppressed a snort. Formal was one way of putting it; strictly hierarchical might be a better word.

"There's a fair amount of required overtime, if that's what you're asking," she answered simply.

She should be truthful; she should tell the younger woman to run and never look back. That the best choice she could possibly make in life would be to take her research elsewhere. To enjoy the options that Kagura never had. She envied Kagome, who held all the power in this mess and had no idea.

"Do you have any other questions?" She didn't even realize she'd asked the question until Kagome answered in the negative and wrapped up the call.

Kagura frowned as she hung up, making a mental note to encourage her to ask questions or negotiate once the offer was inevitably extended. This wasn't a real job interview, after all, and Kagura would do all she could to slow down the hiring process enough to get the ball rolling on her own plans before the window of opportunity passed.

She swiveled her chair, staring out the picture window overlooking the city. The sun was getting low, illuminating her stark white office in a hazy orange glow. She watched the world seemingly burn down around her for a while, ruminating on which bar she would visit tonight on the company card. She'd target one of the lounges the private equity workers frequented; Kumonosu needed more funding, after all, and networking was part of the game. Kagura had to play the part of the devoted executive, even if she was trying to tear things down from the inside.

Maybe she'd even take someone home. Someone mid-senior level; not too young… There was no rule against enjoying herself a little as long as she got her job done, even if she did wonder whether this feeble attempt at emulating freedom wasn't terribly different from a child choosing to do their chores to spite a parent.

"I'll do it because I want to! Not because you told me to!"

She was saved from a spiral of self-loathing by a chime from her laptop. She rubbed her face tiredly, turning back to her desk and a fresh Outlook reminder of the executive team meeting starting in ten minutes.

She grabbed her notebook and a pen and rose from her seat. She was going to need to start saving up for all the therapy she'd need after all of this was finished, she thought as she walked out the door.

"I need to talk to you," came a voice as Kagura walked out of the elevator, and she barely suppressed the urge to scream. "It's about the testing."

"No." She turned to face Suikotsu, staring up at him with the fiercest glare she could muster. "You don't get to do this to me. Not today."

"We've lost two subjects this week," he replied simply, sounding somewhat defeated.

"Sounds like you need to find two more subjects, then," Kagura responded glibly. She wasn't about to let his failures reflect poorly on her.

"I just need more time. Can you back me up in the meeting?" He was pleading now. Kagura enjoyed it a little more than she probably should have.

"Depends on how good of a mood Bossman is in."

He grimaced at the reply. "I swear you were created without any sense of empathy."

Kagura shrugged. Maybe she had been. Maybe she was acting exclusively out of self-interest. She'd never really put much thought into her own internal motivations, anyway. She shrugged it off, leaving the stewing doctor in her wake as she entered the executive conference room.

Kagura took her seat, giving Kanna a cursory nod as she settled into the oversized leather chair. She pointedly ignored the two new team members across the table as Suikotsu made his way into the room, looking mildly ill.

She really didn't want to be here, especially not after the news she'd received just now. Testing issues wouldn't necessarily derail her plans – quite the opposite, actually. Kagura would happily accept more time to scheme her way to freedom. The problem would be managing Naraku's temper upon receiving the news.

The door swung open violently, almost as if on cue. Kagura braced herself.

"Kanna. Report," was all Naraku said as he took his seat.

Kagura hated him.

"Press reaction to this morning's announcement has been positive, Naraku-sama," Kanna replied. She offered no further detail.

"Excellent," he responded. "Make sure it stays that way. By any means necessary." He gave Kagura a pointed look, and her shoulders tensed. Hadn't she already had enough on her to-do list? She opened her mouth to argue.

"Of course," she responded instead.

How long would she be a corporate doormat? Her heart (she scoffed internally at the irony) yearned to just stand up and leave the room, but her more rational side kept her rooted in her seat.

Not yet. Soon.

"Welcome to our two new team members," Naraku continued, "This is a very exciting development; I want everyone to understand this."

Jakotsu and Bankotsu nodded, smirking.

"With these acquisitions, we are now majority stakeholders in Taisho Biomedical."

The room erupted into applause. Kagura clapped along politely, the heavy feeling in her stomach from earlier in the day returning. She shrugged it off as best she could. Moral discomfort could have such inconvenient timing, she was beginning to realize.

"Suikotsu. Report," Naraku prompted as the room silenced once more.

"Yes, well…" Suikotsu began, still looking pale and slightly sweaty. "Unfortunately, we lost two subjects this week due to… unfavorable reactions. I expect this will push back our timeline for submission to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency by a matter of months." He flinched, waiting for the blowback, but was met instead by silence.

Kagura turned her head towards Naraku in surprise. He was smiling.

"That is unfortunate indeed," he began, "but not devastating. Kagura. Hiring report."

She quirked a brow. Would hiring Higurashi make a significant enough difference to negate a monthslong delay in testing?

"The offer is being prepared as we speak," she said as her mind raced. Things seemed to be moving quicker than she anticipated, and Kagura was relieved that she had already planned to draw out the signing process as long as possible.

"We'll give her three days to consider. Don't let her negotiate." Naraku sneered and Kagura's blood ran cold. "I have other means of getting what we need."

Across the table, Jakotsu and Bankotsu smiled greedily. Nausea blossomed in her stomach as Kagura realized that she needed a new plan.

Fast.

I'm sorry that there was such a delay between chapters 11 and 12! I had a lot of life happen in the last 7.5 months and had to take time to attend to that. This chapter is short because it's a bit of a bridge between the two arcs of this story - I should be back at longer chapters from 13 onward. I hope you enjoyed the little Kagura interlude as much as I enjoyed writing an entire chapter from her POV. :)